In June of 2000, I saw this video clip on the
news. It depicts a powerful surge of water overtopping a sea
wall and knocking down everything in its path. When I first saw
it, I immediately thought 'tsunami', but the fact that I had
not heard any recent reports of earthquakes or tsunamis made
me wonder. Later, I learned this was the famous tidal bore on
the Quiantang River in China. A tidal bore is a wave that advances
up a river mouth during extreme tide swings. People in this area
gather here annually to view this event, but this year, the incoming
tide was extremely strong and there appears to be very large
ocean swells as well. This is probably what led to the disater
you see depicted here. According to the news agencies, no one
was killed, but there were some injuries. This is what you might
call an actual 'tidal wave', but it is not a 'tsunami'!